The trial in the savage December 16, 2012, Delhi gang-rape case, which shook the entire nation and forced the government to take heed, is nearing its end.

Nine months on, the protestors have disappeared, but the case has left a lasting impact on India's collective
conscience.

The judge in the trial of the four men, charged with gang-raping and killing the 23-year-old physiotherapy student, delivered his verdict on Tuesday.

Here's a timeline of how the case developed:

THE HORROROn December 16, 2012, a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was beaten and brutally gang-raped by six men in a moving bus that she and her male friend boarded at Munirka for Dwarka in southwest Delhi. They were then thrown out of the vehicle; the accused allegedly tried to drive the bus over the girl but she was pulled aside in the nick of time by her friend.

WAVE OF PROTESTSPublic angst gave way to unprecedented demonstrations all over the country. People cutting across ages and social strata took to streets in thousands and clashed with police forces all over the country.

CHARGES FILEDOn January 3, cases of rape, murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence, and attempted murder on the male victim is filed against all the five accused in the case. Minor’s case goes to the juvenile board.

JUSTICE ELUDEDOn March 11, the main accusedRam Singh is found hanged in his Tihar jail cell, which he shared with two others. His hanging cheated the rape victim’s family of real closure.

UNDER ATTACKOn April 4, Akshay Thakur tells the court he is being threatened by Tihar guards. On April 5, Vinay, appears in court with a broken right arm and alleges that he was beaten by inmates.

JUVENILE JUSTICEOn June 4, Juvenile accused turned 18 in custody. On July 11, he was found guilty of rape and murder. The Juvenile Justice Board sent him to confinement for three years at a reformatory home on August 31, maximum sentence under the law. The eight months he has already spent in custody will be deducted from the sentence.

ACCUSED CONVICTEDA Delhi court on Tuesday convicted all four accused in the gang-rape and death of a physiotherapy student in December last year.

The accused were found guilty of the several offences – including guilty of gang-rape, murder, attempt to murder, unnatural offences, destruction of evidence and dacoity, among other offences – they had been charged with.

The court said the dying declarations of the victim, statements of 85 prosecution witnesses, DNA, forensic and electronic evidence proved the guilt of the accused.